


protect you

by Fjore



Series: Tales from the Crispyverse [2]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Gen, Strickler is dollar tree 007, rude humor too, some language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:07:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16273334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fjore/pseuds/Fjore
Summary: A man named Dale accidentally adopts a young troll. Now, about the killer troll stalking them every night...





	1. Houseguest

**Author's Note:**

> A backstory for two OCs, Dale and Wattie, who play a pretty large role in the sequel to my current shitfest of a fic #KeepItCrispy.

It was about three in the morning, I just got home from work and I'm dog tired. I locked the door to my studio apartment, kicked my pants off and sat back on my bed, ready for a joint and a nice nap. I got some GG Allin on my radio (bless you, you disgusting bastard) and a joint in my mouth when I hear the window open. Before I could even process that some small, fuzzy gray dude fell through and into my apartment.

  
I wasn't sure what else was in this weed but I couldn't move a muscle. I just watched in silence as this tiny creature dropped from my window and onto the ground with a surprisingly loud thud. He was scared of something.  
  
So he finally notices me sitting wide eyed in my bed, staring at him. He covers his mouth with his hand and gives me this pleading look like he wants me to do the same. Oh aight he's telling me to be quiet! Maybe I was just too stoned to shout or something but I nodded and covered my mouth.

  
The little guy points up at the window and I almost shit myself when I see this gigantic, monstrous shadow stop a foot from the glass. Then it opens its eyes and it took all my restraint not to piss right there.  
  
They were bright red, full of hate and anger. The thing growls at us through the window before leaving. Me and my guest sat in total silence until we were sure he was gone. Finally, this tiny monster whimpers in fear and steps away from the window.  
  
Finally I find the strength to speak and the only thing I could think to say was: "Are you okay?"  
  
He tilts his head like he doesn't understand and it's honestly pretty cute.  
  
"You aren't hurt or anything?"  
  
He shakes his head. Least now I know he can understand what i'm saying to him. Then in a very quiet, childlike voice he replies.  
  
"Lost."  
  
So he's a kid, he's lost and there's some giant fuckin' monster with red eyes looking for him. I pulled myself onto my knees to get a better look at this strange creature that fell through my window. He's got this gray skin, and really thick, dark hair on his head and shoulders... and horns? Those are horns.  
  
"Like... you can't find your parents?"  
  
"Mother died." He said. "All alone."  
  
Oh.  
  
So now I feel like a jerk for bringing that up. I wanted to get up and turn on the light but I was terrified that whatever was looking through the window would come back.  
  
"Do you have a name?"  
  
He shakes his head. 

It takes the better part of an hour to convince him to come closer and eventually he's sitting on the other side of my bed. It's about five feet away but still close enough for me to see him a little better. I grabbed a can of cola from the table beside the bed and while I'm drinking it he scoots closer and points at the can.

"Can eat?"

I look at the can in confusion. He wants to eat this? That's weird but like then again he's an alien or something so he probably eats a lot of weird shit. I finished the drink and handed him the can, which was promptly gobbled right the fuck up. Kid looks up at me and smiles. He's got some sharp lookin' teeth stickin' out of his lower jaw. I can see his eyes now too: Bright, beautiful blue.

"That good?" I ask.

He nods and asks for another. So we spend a few more hours together, I'm drinking soda and he's eating the cans. He doesn't speak much english but he's able to make himself understood well enough. I gotta wonder if I'm the first human he's ever met. Once the sun starts peeking through the window though, he starts to panic a little.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was terrified of the sun. I told him I wasn't going to make him go outside in the sunlight, and that he could stay if he wanted because god damn there's an alien in my house right now, not only that but he's a little kid and he's lost and alone. I wasn't about to let him wander off on his own.

So he finally sits right next to me while he's eating and I can feel how heavy this kid despite his size. I'd say he's around two or three feet tall, he has to weigh almost half as much as I do. Kinda got this stank to him: not like a bad stank though, like wet stone almost. Either way this kid is legit adorable, he's scared and alone and I'm not going to let anything happen to him.

"So what was that thing outside?"

He whimpers quietly before responding with a single word.

"Bular."

I dunno what that means but I don't like the way it sounds.

"Bular?"

"Killed mother. Chase me here." 

Without thinking I put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched at first but relaxed quickly and in about four seconds I had him in my lap, munchin' on a mello yello can. Yeah he's even heavier than I actually thought.

"Human save me."

I guess I did, sorta. 

"My name is Dale." I finally tell him. He cocks his head to the side and slowly repeats the word a few times.

"Dale save me!" He shouts, wiggling further into my lap.

I was completely lost to be honest. I got an alien or something sitting in my lap eating trash, killer alien walking around my neighborhood, and I'm still not sure if weed was the only thing in that joint. At this point though I'm too stoned to ask questions so I tacked a blanket over both windows for him. I dunno when I fell asleep but I woke up around noon to find my guest curled up at the end of my bed with a half eaten tin can hangin' out of his mouth. I think it was at that point I decided that I would do whatever I needed to keep him safe. Even if it meant staring into those horrid, glowing red eyes again.


	2. Week's end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dale discusses his time with his new guest, learns a few things, and makes a promise.

It's been a week since that night and I'm honestly fuckin exhausted. The kid only sleeps for around two hours a day at most, the rest of the time he's bouncing off the walls and gettin' into stuff. Oh yeah! He's got a name now!

So it was probably two days after we met, I'm smoking a cigarette and jammin out to some Exploited on the porch, watching the sun set. I looked over at the kid, he's got his head goin' too!

"You like?" I asked him, got a big ol' smile and a nod in response.

I grinned and pulled my wallet out to show him a picture from the day I actually met the Exploited after a show.

"The guy singing's called Wattie. Wattie Buchan." I explained and showed him the picture taken at the show. "I got to meet him once after he was finished playing."

I always had my radio on so he's heard the stuff I listen to and I'm pretty sure he liked some of it. We spent a few hours together just chillin' and listening to murder junkies and some dead kennedys. Good stuff. I feel him tug on my pant leg and I looked down at him.

He placed a hand on his chest and told me his new name.

"Wattie."

Oh shit. Wattie it is then!

So I started calling him that, it's a lot nicer than 'hey you' for one. 

The questions though, good lord. I understand that kids ask questions but it's nearly constant. He'd asked me if I was part troll because my legs are really hairy. Yeah there's also that, Wattie's not an alien. He says he's a troll, so I guess trolls exist. That's fuckin' tight.

I still can't make heads or tails of whatever language he's speaking but I kinda picked up one or two words. He calls me 'ashaca' sometimes but I'm still not sure what that even means. 

Lemme tell you too the TV just blew his little mind, dude. I didn't have cable but Wattie watched Thomas every morning. I grabbed a few videos from work for him. Currently, the little mermaid was his favorite. In fact he loved it so much that he ate the vhs. (He saw that this upset me a little so he waited until the next morning, _retrieved_ what was left of the tape and tried to give it back. Then he ate it again when I told him it was okay. Ew.) 

I think he's asked me to rewind it a million times now. I wish we didn't have to rewind tapes to watch again. Maybe that'll happen someday. I don't have the money for laserdiscs but I figured I might invest in a player at some point.

Everything's been really smooth honestly, aside from being up at all hours with Wattie but I didn't really mind all that much. Man I thought the TV blew his mind but lemme tell you when he saw the shower for the first time he didn't even know what to think.

This sounds weirder than fuck but he's always within like a five foot radius from me whenever I'm home anyways so I let him chill in the water while I showered. Wattie didn't bathe but he liked to relax under the water. He'd probably chill there for hours if I let him but my water bill's already chokin' me this month.

We started taking walks around the apartment complex when the sun was down, usually accompanied by a few surprisingly difficult questions courtesy of Wattie.

Not that I minded at all! I liked talking with him, I was always pretty honest about almost anything he asked. Talking with him was also teaching him some more english, I guess. Lemme tell you Wattie is hella impressionable so I'm actively trying to watch my language whenever we do talk.

(He said 'fuckbait' one time and I almost died laughing.)

Alright anyways me and Wattie were taking a walk, we always stopped at this kinda tiny and pathetic lookin' playground just outside of the complex. I'd smoke one while he played around and stuff usually but tonight something was up.

Wattie stopped right outside the playground to sniff this puddle by the gate. He makes a face and darts back around me to hide behind my legs. 

"What's the matter, little dude?" I ask him.

He points at the puddle. "Bular."

"Ah crap he's still around?"

"Not crap. Pee!"

So he's still hanging around. Is he just waiting for us? Did he piss here just so we'd find it and freak out? I mean if that was intentional it was working.

Wattie looked scared. Shit I was scared too! I didn't ask him about Bular at all anymore, I kinda thought he might be old news up until now.

I knelt next to Wattie and put my hand on his shoulder. I looked right into those adorable blue eyes of his and made him a promise right there.

"I won't let him hurt you."

I had no idea what I was in for.


	3. Disagreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dale and Wattie have an argument, and a piece of Wattie's past is revealed. Bular harasses them through their window.

Wattie and I were sitting on opposite ends of my (our?) bed, looking away from each other. I was trying to take deep breaths, he was sniffling quietly and staring at the floor. We had an argument and I kinda shouted at him.

It wasn't over anything really important, he accidentally broke one of the hinges on the bathroom door. I was just dog tired and I lost my temper. That's not what I was thinking about though. The look in his eyes when I shouted at him was haunting me. Fear. Betrayal. As soon as I saw the tears well up in those beautiful blue eyes of his I died a little inside. I hurt him.

I looked back over at Wattie. He's staring at the ground, shivering. Sniffling. It hurt me to look at.

"Wattie?"

He didn't respond.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you. I wasn't thinking."

Wattie looked up at me and I saw something horrible: fear. He was afraid of me.

"I'm not mad about the door. I can fix the door tomorrow. I shouldn't have raised my voice."

"You yell at me!" he shouts. He's trembling but it's not just fear. Anger too.

"I know. I'm sorry."

I didn't expect him to come any closer but he sat right in my lap and buried his face in my hoodie. I put my arms around him and apologized again. Without thinking I kinda kissed the top of his head.

"Father yell." he said, barely loud enough for me to hear. It took a second to sink in but once I realized what I'd done I felt like an absolute monster. It made me think of...

I carefully sat back until I was lying on my side, Wattie still clinging to my torso. 

"I'm sorry. My dad yelled at me a lot too."

That's something I don't tell people. That's why I moved to Tucson, away from him and everything else I wanted to forget all about. Maybe forgetting about it entirely was a bad idea after all.

"I'm never going to yell at you again. Promise."

"Your father?"

I hadn't ever spoken of my family with Wattie. Hell, I hadn't thought about any of the bastards in years! Growing up sucked and I wish I could just erase all of it. Start over. Even now, after all these years away from him, dad found a way to get to me. Through me, I guess.

"Yeah. He was real mean to me. That's why I live here."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I guess it made him feel good to be mean to a little boy."

I yawned. Today had been hard enough and I was ready to crash. I asked Wattie if he'd like to sleep over here with me. He nodded and snuggled closer to my side. 

After a few minutes of silence Wattie spoke again.

"Window." he whispers.

I don't even have to open my eyes to see what's waiting for us right outside. I know it's him.

"Bular."

The name leaves my mouth before I can stop myself. Wattie tensed up and waited for the monster to finally just reach inside and kill us both but motherfucker I was not having it right now.

"You know my name, flesh thing."

Holy fucking balls his voice is the stuff of nightmares. He sounded every but as terrifying as he looked.

"We're trying to sleep. You're scaring him."

My god why won't I stop talking? Somebody else spoke. 

"This again? Is this child truly so important to you-?"

"Be silent, impure!"

Who the hell else was standing outside of my window?! Do these people have no lives?

"We're trying to sleep. Fuck off, you and that fake British guy whoever he is."

I waited for his response but nothing came. I opened my eyes and saw that Bular had left the window. I waited again until I was damn sure he was gone before whispering to Wattie.

"He's gone."

I pulled my blanket over us. Wattie curled up beside me. Yeah like I'm gonna sleep after what just happened.

"Ashaca." he said. There's that word again. Before I could ask him what it meant he was asleep.

Man, I had a whole lot to think about tonight.


	4. Brian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After seeing Bular again, Dale takes Wattie to hide out at some douchebag's house.

"Thank you Brian. It's only for a night or two, like I said."

 

After Bular returned to my house that night I realized that neither me or Wattie were safe there. I sat with an old roommate, Brian, who I was honestly hoping to never look at again and explained our situation. (Of course I left out the part about the killer troll stalking us.) I asked to stay with him again. He didn't believe me until he met Wattie and I think he was honestly to shocked by the whole situation to say no.

"You can stay for longer, if you want."

I don't plan on staying longer than a few nights. I'll find another place. Brian is a nice guy but I can't stand living with him. Last time I was here, in his house, he thought we were like in some kind of relationship? Somehow? I don't know what lead him to believe that. Anyways, Wattie and I are safe here for now. Brian gives us his guest bedroom. Wattie sniffs around at the new bed and makes a face.

"It's not ours but it's better than sleeping with Bular outside."

He shrugs and looks over my shoulder. I turned to find Brian leaning on the wall across from the guest bedroom. Guess that means he wants to talk. I stepped into the hallway with him.

"So he's not gonna eat anything or..."

"No. He's very well behaved and knows to respect somebody else's property."

"Huh."

Brian has this obnoxious bright blue hair and a ton of rings stuck in his face. I'm trying not to let it distract me while we're talking.

"When did you guys meet?"

"He was lost and he climbed through my window lookin' for a place to sleep."

"And you just went with it."

"I was really stoned and just didn't know what else to do. I'm glad I went with it though."

He gets this look on his face, big ol' shit eating grin. Oh boy here's a Brian moment.

"You love him?"

Good lord he knows just when to ask the worst questions. Brian always had this thing where he figured he just knew things about everyone. I hated talking about things like this. Love? I didn't love. I don't love things. I honestly forgot what loving something or somebody even felt like until...

Fuck me he's right. I hate to say it but Brian's actually right for once. I loved Wattie. I mean everything about him! His eyes, his laugh, everything and god dammit Brian knows it. Why this loser, of all people?

"Yeah." I finally admitted. Once I said it out loud I realized how good it felt. So I said it again.

"Yeah, I love him."

"Good. He loves you too, Dale."

Brian left for work shortly after, leaving Wattie and I by ourselves. I sat beside him on this strange bed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Wattie?"

He looks up at me.

"Where do trolls live?"

"Caves!"

"Caves, huh?"

"And bridges! Always hiding from sun!"

Would he ever actually be safe and happy here with me? I'm not a troll, I can barely keep up with him some days. And I mean sure, he likes chillin' with me, and he's always got a place to sleep and food to eat. Is that enough?

Wattie must have realized what I was thinking about because he wiggled himself into my lap and huffed.

"Not leaving."

"Wait what? Buddy I wasn't thinking about that."

"Ask about home for trolls."

"Well yeah but what if we went together?"

That got his attention. His eyes just lit up at the idea and I knew he was excited. Shit if I knew where to find trolls, maybe Wattie and I could go chill in one of their cities! Then again, I had no idea where to even find a troll.

Except one.

But I'm not stupid enough to go looking for him.

 

Nope.


	5. A pretty good day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dale confronts Bular like the stupid dumbass that he is.

I checked my watch. It's just after three and I'm standing in front of my apartment waiting for that monster to show up. Before I left Brian's house I went into his closet and found his dad's revolver. I doubted it would even scratch Bular but it made me feel a little better. (It's not like he's ever gonna miss it anyways.)

I made sure the safety was on. Again.

Who am I kidding? This gun wasn't gonna do anything! Every single fiber of my being was telling me to run but the young troll standing next to me was more important.

Wattie didn't like this either but he wouldn't let me do it alone. He was clinging to my leg and I could feel him shaking.

There are loud, heavy footsteps now. Bular is here and I'm shaking but I needed to know. Maybe, some fucking how, I could convince him to leave us alone.

When he turns the corner and starts walking towards us Wattie whimpers and hides behind me. I couldn't look away from Bular. I didn't want to show him how fucking terrified I was.

He laughed.

"You are a stupid human." he says. "So weak and thin, you would barely make a snack."

"I want you to leave him alone." I retort.

Bular snorts, leaning down into his face is right in front of mine. I didn't move. God his breath was horrid, like a hobo's asshole stuffed with dead rabbits.

"That child is mine. I killed his worthless mother and I will kill this worthless child as well."

"Wattie, go inside."

He didn't move from my side.

"Wattie, dammit, go insi-"

Bular cut me off.

"Ha! Will you fight me for this child, human?" He spat on the ground next to me.

"I guess so."

Before he could move I whipped that revolver out of my belt and fired two rounds right into his chest. Bular didn't even flinch.

"Stay away from him or I'll put this gun in your dickhole."

The threat caught him off guard at least.

"Are you truly that stupid?" somebody asked.

Bular and I both turned to see this other guy walking up the sidewalk to the apartment. That's gotta be the same British guy from the other night. He looks like he reads men's fashion magazines from the 50s and he talks like a dollar tree 007.

"Yeah, I am."

Bular snorted. Then started to laugh. Before I could stop him, Wattie stepped out in front of me and spoke to Bular in that same strange language from before. I still couldn't understand any of it. He said that word again though. Ashaca. He was really letting Bular have it!

When Wattie was done, Bular remained silent for a minute. I dunno what this kid said but it looked like Bular just got slapped in the face. And actually felt it. That other guy finally cleared his throat and Bular looked at him. The troll has this really dead, sad look in his eyes and I honestly feel ...bad? Did Wattie roast him that good?

"Protect this child then, fleshbag."

What...?

"Finally. Can we do something important now?" his friend asks.

They both turned to leave, like nothing just happened at all!

"What did he say?" I asked.

Bular kept walking but this human returned to my front porch where I was still standing in the same spot, shaking. He introduced himself as Walter, Bular's assistant. ("Glorified babysitter" he grumbles.) Wattie tugs on my pant leg and points at the door. "I gotta pee!"

I rolled my eyes and let him into the apartment. Once he was inside I turned back to Walter.

"He told Bular to leave you alone."

"What did he really say? He calls me that... Ashaca. What does that mean?"

Walter sighed. 

"That is the trollish word for father."

Oh boy. Okay. Is that how Wattie feels? Was I really good enough to be a father for him? I feel like an idiot for not seeing it sooner, honestly.

"Wattie and I can't live here forever. I wanted to find more trolls, at least so he..."

Walter cut me off.

"Whether or not this whelp is your son, you are still a human and you wouldn't be allowed to live among trollkind. It's unheard of, really."

"It's not safe for him here."

"Bular will no longer disturb you."

Ugh that's not what I mean and he knows it! I open my mouth to argue but he keeps talking.

"Centuries ago, Bular's father was taken from him.Three hundred and seventy one years ago, as of last week."

"So he's just gonna leave us alone?"

"Yes. Your son's words reminded him of what he lost. Don't push your luck any further."

Man this was a lot to take in right now... Wattie saw me as his father! That's uh... Wow. I couldn't describe any of what I was feeling right now. And this thing with Bular? He's gotta be depressed as fuck right now and while that's a shame, I'm also really glad for it. Would he have let us live otherwise?

"Dale, correct?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you call him your son?"

I mean I hadn't before, but yeah. I realize now that yeah, he's my boy. Just a month ago he called me father for the first time and I didn't even know it but now I was more than willing to call Wattie mine.

"He's my son."

"When he calls you father, place your forehead against his. Above the eyebrow, of course."

"Oh yeah, of course. Why, exactly?"

"Above the eyebrow, because touching noses is considered highly inappropriate. Placing your foreheads together will tell him that you accept him as your son."

"Got it. No noses."

We say in awkward silence for a few moments before Walter spoke again.

"Had it been any other night, he would not have let you live. Do you understand the danger in which you put your son?"

"I don't know any other trolls. Who else am I supposed to ask shit like that?"

"So you ask the murderous troll that's been stalking you for weeks?"

"I just need to know what I'm getting myself into."

"Somebody's stomach, should you keep looking for trolls."

He's right. This had probably been the stupidest idea I'd ever had. Had something happened to Wattie...

Anyways, Walter left soon after. When I found Wattie inside, he was curled up on our bed waiting for me to sit with him.

"Hey bud." 

I leaned down like Walter said and carefully pressed my forehead against his. 

Wattie closed his eyes and pushed back, wrapped his arms around my chest.

I couldn't begin to describe what I felt at that point. Pride? Love? Definitely, but there's something else there too. 

Fuck it, we'll figure it out in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it.


End file.
